COORDINATE REGULATION OF MESSENGER-RNA LEVELS OF PROOPIOMELANOCORTIN AND THE CANDIDATE PROCESSING ENZYMES PC2 AND PC3, BUT NOT FURIN, IN RAT PITUITARY INTERMEDIATE LOBE

Pro-opiomelanocortin is a multivalent hormone precursor which is processed at pairs of basic residues in a tissue-specific manner to release biologically active peptides. We have examined the message levels of three candidate pro-opiomelanocortin processing enzymes in the intermediate lobe of the rat pituitary following treatment with a dopamine receptor agonist and antagonist which are known to regulate pro-opiomelanocortin mRNA levels. Message levels for PC2 and PC3 but not furin were coordinately regulated with pro-opiomelanocortin transcripts supporting a role for PC2 and PC3 in the maturation of the pro-opiomelanocortin precursor in the rat pituitary intermediate lobe. © 1991.